Activation of NF-kappa B by the dsRNA-dependent protein kinase, PKR involves the I kappa B kinase complex

E3 ligase HECTD3 promotes RNA virus replication and virus-induced inflammation via K33-linked polyubiquitination of PKR

Uncontrolled viral replication and excessive inflammation are the main causes of death in the host infected with virus. Hence inhibition of intracellular viral replication and production of innate cytokines, which are the key strategies of hosts to fight virus infections, need to be finely tuned to eliminate viruses while avoid harmful inflammation. The E3 ligases in regulating virus replication and subsequent innate cytokines production remain to be fully characterized. Here we report that the deficiency of the E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase HECTD3 results in accelerated RNA virus clearance and reduced inflammatory response both in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, HECTD3 interacts with dsRNA-dependent protein kinase R (PKR) and mediates Lys33-linkage of PKR, which is the first non-proteolytic ubiquitin modification for PKR. This process disrupts the dimerization and phosphorylation of PKR and subsequent EIF2α activation, which results in the acceleration of virus replication, but promotes the formation of PKR-IKK complex and subsequent inflammatory response. The finding suggests HECTD3 is the potential therapeutic target for simultaneously restraining RNA virus replication and virus-induced inflammation once pharmacologically inhibited.

Protein Phosphorylation Alterations in Myotonic Dystrophy Type 1: A Systematic Review

Among the most common muscular dystrophies in adults is Myotonic Dystrophy type 1 (DM1), an autosomal dominant disorder characterized by myotonia, muscle wasting and weakness, and multisystemic dysfunctions. This disorder is caused by an abnormal expansion of the CTG triplet at the DMPK gene that, when transcribed to expanded mRNA, can lead to RNA toxic gain of function, alternative splicing impairments, and dysfunction of different signaling pathways, many regulated by protein phosphorylation. In order to deeply characterize the protein phosphorylation alterations in DM1, a systematic review was conducted through PubMed and Web of Science databases. From a total of 962 articles screened, 41 were included for qualitative analysis, where we retrieved information about total and phosphorylated levels of protein kinases, protein phosphatases, and phosphoproteins in DM1 human samples and animal and cell models. Twenty-nine kinases, 3 phosphatases, and 17 phosphoproteins were reported altered in DM1. Signaling pathways that regulate cell functions such as glucose metabolism, cell cycle, myogenesis, and apoptosis were impaired, as seen by significant alterations to pathways such as AKT/mTOR, MEK/ERK, PKC/CUGBP1, AMPK, and others in DM1 samples. This explains the complexity of DM1 and its different manifestations and symptoms, such as increased insulin resistance and cancer risk. Further studies can be done to complement and explore in detail specific pathways and how their regulation is altered in DM1, to find what key phosphorylation alterations are responsible for these manifestations, and ultimately to find therapeutic targets for future treatments.

Mechanism of herpesvirus protein kinase UL13 in immune escape and viral replication

Upon infection, the herpes viruses create a cellular environment suitable for survival, but innate immunity plays a vital role in cellular resistance to viral infection. The UL13 protein of herpesviruses is conserved among all herpesviruses and is a serine/threonine protein kinase, which plays a vital role in escaping innate immunity and promoting viral replication. On the one hand, it can target various immune signaling pathways in vivo, such as the cGAS-STING pathway and the NF-κB pathway. On the other hand, it phosphorylates regulatory many cellular and viral proteins for promoting the lytic cycle. This paper reviews the research progress of the conserved herpesvirus protein kinase UL13 in immune escape and viral replication to provide a basis for elucidating the pathogenic mechanism of herpesviruses, as well as providing insights into the potential means of immune escape and viral replication of other herpesviruses that have not yet resolved the function of it.

GZ17-6.02 kills prostate cancer cells in vitro and in vivo

GZ17-6.02 is undergoing clinical evaluation in solid tumors and lymphoma. We defined the biology of GZ17-6.02 in prostate cancer cells and determined whether it interacted with the PARP1 inhibitor olaparib to enhance tumor cell killing. GZ17-6.02 interacted in a greater than additive fashion with olaparib to kill prostate cancer cells, regardless of androgen receptor expression or loss of PTEN function. Mechanistically, GZ17-6.02 initially caused peri-nuclear activation of ataxia-telangiectasia mutated (ATM) that was followed after several hours by activation of nuclear ATM, and which at this time point was associated with increased levels of DNA damage. Directly downstream of ATM, GZ17-6.02 and olaparib cooperated to activate the AMP-dependent protein kinase (AMPK) which then activated the kinase ULK1, resulting in autophagosome formation that was followed by autophagic flux. Knock down of ATM, AMPKα or the autophagy-regulatory proteins Beclin1 or ATG5 significantly reduced tumor cell killing. GZ17-6.02 and olaparib cooperated to activate protein kinase R which phosphorylated and inactivated eIF2α, i.e., enhanced endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress signaling. Knock down of eIF2α also significantly reduced autophagosome formation and tumor cell killing. We conclude that GZ17-6.02 and olaparib interact to kill prostate cancer cells in vitro by increasing autophagy and by enhancing ER stress signaling. In vivo, GZ17-6.02 as a single agent profoundly reduced tumor growth and significantly prolonged animal survival. GZ17-6.02 interacted with olaparib to further suppress the growth of LNCaP tumors without ultimately enhancing animal survival. Our data support the consideration of GZ17-6.02 as a possible therapeutic agent in patients with AR+ prostate cancer.

Long non-coding RNA DARS-AS1 promotes tumor progression by directly suppressing PACT-mediated cellular stress

Cancer cells evolve various mechanisms to overcome cellular stresses and maintain progression. Protein kinase R (PKR) and its protein activator (PACT) are the initial responders in monitoring diverse stress signals and lead to inhibition of cell proliferation and cell apoptosis in consequence. However, the regulation of PACT-PKR pathway in cancer cells remains largely unknown. Herein, we identify that the long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) aspartyl-tRNA synthetase antisense RNA 1 (DARS-AS1) is directly involved in the inhibition of the PACT-PKR pathway and promotes the proliferation of cancer cells. Using large-scale CRISPRi functional screening of 971 cancer-associated lncRNAs, we find that DARS-AS1 is associated with significantly enhanced proliferation of cancer cells. Accordingly, knocking down DARS-AS1 inhibits cell proliferation of multiple cancer cell lines and promotes cancer cell apoptosis in vitro and significantly reduces tumor growth in vivo. Mechanistically, DARS-AS1 directly binds to the activator domain of PACT and prevents PACT-PKR interaction, thereby decreasing PKR activation, eIF2α phosphorylation and inhibiting apoptotic cell death. Clinically, DARS-AS1 is broadly expressed across multiple cancers and the increased expression of this lncRNA indicates poor prognosis. This study elucidates the lncRNA DARS-AS1 directed cancer-specific modulation of the PACT-PKR pathway and provides another target for cancer prognosis and therapeutic treatment.

A loss-of-function screen reveals a role for lncRNA DARS-AS1 in promoting cancer cell proliferation and further experiments shows DARS-AS1 regulates the PACT-PKR pathway, overall suggesting it as a potential target for cancer therapy and prognosis.

PKR Binds Enterovirus IRESs, Displaces Host Translation Factors, and Impairs Viral Translation to Enable Innate Antiviral Signaling

For RNA virus families except Picornaviridae, viral RNA sensing includes Toll-like receptors and/or RIG-I. Picornavirus RNAs, whose 5' termini are shielded by a genome-linked protein, are predominately recognized by MDA5. This has important ramifications for adaptive immunity, as MDA5-specific patterns of type-I interferon (IFN) release are optimal for CD4+T cell TH1 polarization and CD8+T cell priming. We are exploiting this principle for cancer immunotherapy with recombinant poliovirus (PV), PVSRIPO, the type 1 (Sabin) PV vaccine containing a rhinovirus type 2 internal ribosomal entry site (IRES). Here we show that PVSRIPO-elicited MDA5 signaling is preceded by early sensing of the IRES by the double-stranded (ds)RNA-activated protein kinase (PKR). PKR binding to IRES stem-loop domains 5-6 led to dimerization and autoactivation, displaced host translation initiation factors, and suppressed viral protein synthesis. Early PKR-mediated antiviral responses tempered incipient viral translation and the activity of cytopathogenic viral proteinases, setting up accentuated MDA5 innate inflammation in response to PVSRIPO infection. IMPORTANCE Among the RIG-I-like pattern recognition receptors, MDA5 stands out because it senses long dsRNA duplexes independent of their 5' features (RIG-I recognizes viral [v]RNA 5'-ppp blunt ends). Uniquely among RNA viruses, the innate defense against picornaviruses is controlled by MDA5. We show that prior to engaging MDA5, recombinant PV RNA is sensed upon PKR binding to the viral IRES at a site that overlaps with the footprint for host translation factors mediating 40S subunit recruitment. Our study demonstrates that innate antiviral type-I IFN responses orchestrated by MDA5 involve separate innate modules that recognize distinct vRNA features and interfere with viral functions at multiple levels.

Maladaptation after a virus host switch leads to increased activation of the pro-inflammatory NF-κB pathway

Myxoma virus (MYXV) is benign in the natural brush rabbit host but causes a fatal disease in European rabbits. Here, we demonstrate that MYXV M156 inhibited brush rabbit protein kinase R (bPKR) more efficiently than European rabbit PKR (ePKR). Because ePKR was not completely inhibited by M156, there was a depletion of short–half-life proteins like the nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) inhibitor IκBα, concomitant NF-κB activation and NF-κB target protein expression in ePKR-expressing cells. NF-κB pathway activation was blocked by either hypoactive or hyperactive M156 mutants. This demonstrates that maladaptation of viral immune antagonists can result in substantially different immune responses in aberrant hosts. These different host responses may contribute to altered viral dissemination and may influence viral pathogenesis.

Myxoma virus (MYXV) causes localized cutaneous fibromas in its natural hosts, tapeti and brush rabbits; however, in the European rabbit, MYXV causes the lethal disease myxomatosis. Currently, the molecular mechanisms underlying this increased virulence after cross-species transmission are poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the interaction between MYXV M156 and the host protein kinase R (PKR) to determine their crosstalk with the proinflammatory nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) pathway. Our results demonstrated that MYXV M156 inhibits brush rabbit PKR (bPKR) more strongly than European rabbit PKR (ePKR). This moderate ePKR inhibition could be improved by hyperactive M156 mutants. We hypothesized that the moderate inhibition of ePKR by M156 might incompletely suppress the signal transduction pathways modulated by PKR, such as the NF-κB pathway. Therefore, we analyzed NF-κB pathway activation with a luciferase-based promoter assay. The moderate inhibition of ePKR resulted in significantly higher NF-κB–dependent reporter activity than complete inhibition of bPKR. We also found a stronger induction of the NF-κB target genes TNFα and IL-6 in ePKR-expressing cells than in bPKR-expressing cells in response to M156 in both transfection and infections assays. Furthermore, a hyperactive M156 mutant did not cause ePKR-dependent NF-κB activation. These observations indicate that M156 is maladapted for ePKR inhibition, only incompletely blocking translation in these hosts, resulting in preferential depletion of short–half-life proteins, such as the NF-κB inhibitor IκBα. We speculate that this functional activation of NF-κB induced by the intermediate inhibition of ePKR by M156 may contribute to the increased virulence of MYXV in European rabbits.

The IRENA lncRNA converts chemotherapy-polarized tumor-suppressing macrophages to tumor-promoting phenotypes in breast cancer

Although chemotherapy can stimulate antitumor immunity by inducing interferon (IFN) response, the functional role of tumor-associated macrophages in this scenario remains unclear. Here, we found that IFN-activated proinflammatory macrophages after neoadjuvant chemotherapy enhanced antitumor immunity but promoted cancer chemoresistance. Mechanistically, IFN induced expression of cytoplasmic long noncoding RNA IFN-responsive nuclear factor-κB activator (IRENA) in macrophages, which triggered nuclear factor-κB signaling via dimerizing protein kinase R and subsequently increased production of protumor inflammatory cytokines. By constructing macrophage-conditional IRENA-knockout mice, we found that targeting IRENA in IFN-activated macrophages abrogated their protumor effects, while retaining their capacity to enhance antitumor immunity. Clinically, IRENA expression in post-chemotherapy macrophages was associated with poor patient survival. These findings indicate that lncRNA can determine the dichotomy of inflammatory cells on cancer progression and antitumor immunity and suggest that targeting IRENA is an effective therapeutic strategy to reversing tumor-promoting inflammation.

Strategies for controlling the innate immune activity of conventional and self-amplifying mRNA therapeutics: Getting the message across

The recent approval of messenger RNA (mRNA)-based vaccines to combat the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic highlights the potential of both conventional mRNA and self-amplifying mRNA (saRNA) as a flexible immunotherapy platform to treat infectious diseases. Besides the antigen it encodes, mRNA itself has an immune-stimulating activity that can contribute to vaccine efficacy. This self-adjuvant effect, however, will interfere with mRNA translation and may influence the desired therapeutic outcome. To further exploit its potential as a versatile therapeutic platform, it will be crucial to control mRNA's innate immune-stimulating properties. In this regard, we describe the mechanisms behind the innate immune recognition of mRNA and provide an extensive overview of strategies to control its innate immune-stimulating activity. These strategies range from modifications to the mRNA backbone itself, optimization of production and purification processes to the combination with innate immune inhibitors. Furthermore, we discuss the delicate balance of the self-adjuvant effect in mRNA vaccination strategies, which can be both beneficial and detrimental to the therapeutic outcome.

Does oxidatively damaged DNA drive amyloid-β generation in Alzheimer's disease? A hypothesis

In Alzheimer's disease (AD), amyloid-β (Aβ) generation and upstream β-secretase 1 (BACE1) expression appear to be driven by oxidative stress via c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), p38, and Interferon-Induced, Double-Stranded RNA-Activated Protein Kinase (PKR). In addition, inflammatory molecules, including lipopolysaccharide (LPS), induce genes central to Aβ genesis, such as BACE1, via nuclear factor-κB (NFκB). However, additional triggers of Aβ generation remain poorly understood and might represent novel opportunities for therapeutic intervention. Based on mechanistic studies and elevated ectopic oxidatively damaged DNA (oxoDNA) levels in preclinical AD, mild cognitive impairment, and AD patients, we hypothesize oxoDNA contributes to β-amyloidosis starting from the earliest stages of AD through multiple pathways. OxoDNA induces mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase kinase 4 (MAP4K4), thereby sensitizing the brain to oxidative stress-induced JNK activation and BACE1 transcription. It also induces myeloid differentiation primary response 88 (MyD88) and activates protein kinase CK2, thereby increasing NFκB activation and BACE1 induction. OxoDNA increases oxidative stress via nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) ectopic localization, likely augmenting JNK-mediated BACE1 induction. OxoDNA likely also promotes β-amyloidosis via absent in melanoma 2 (AIM2) induction. Falsifiable predictions of this hypothesis include that deoxyribonuclease treatment should decrease Aβ and possibly slow cognitive decline in AD patients. While formal testing of this hypothesis remains to be performed, a case report has found deoxyribonuclease I treatment improved a severely demented AD patient's Mini-Mental Status Exam score from 3 to 18 at 2 months. There is preliminary preclinical and clinical evidence suggesting that ectopic oxidatively damaged DNA may act as an inflammatory damage-associated molecular pattern contributing to Aβ generation in AD, and deoxyribonuclease I should be formally evaluated to test whether it can decrease Aβ levels and slow cognitive decline in AD patients.

Protein Kinase R in Bacterial Infections: Friend or Foe?

The global antimicrobial resistance crisis poses a significant threat to humankind in the coming decades. Challenges associated with the development of novel antibiotics underscore the urgent need to develop alternative treatment strategies to combat bacterial infections. Host-directed therapy is a promising new therapeutic strategy that aims to boost the host immune response to bacteria rather than target the pathogen itself, thereby circumventing the development of antibiotic resistance. However, host-directed therapy depends on the identification of druggable host targets or proteins with key functions in antibacterial defense. Protein Kinase R (PKR) is a well-characterized human kinase with established roles in cancer, metabolic disorders, neurodegeneration, and antiviral defense. However, its role in antibacterial defense has been surprisingly underappreciated. Although the canonical role of PKR is to inhibit protein translation during viral infection, this kinase senses and responds to multiple types of cellular stress by regulating cell-signaling pathways involved in inflammation, cell death, and autophagy – mechanisms that are all critical for a protective host response against bacterial pathogens. Indeed, there is accumulating evidence to demonstrate that PKR contributes significantly to the immune response to a variety of bacterial pathogens. Importantly, there are existing pharmacological modulators of PKR that are well-tolerated in animals, indicating that PKR is a feasible target for host-directed therapy. In this review, we provide an overview of immune cell functions regulated by PKR and summarize the current knowledge on the role and functions of PKR in bacterial infections. We also review the non-canonical activators of PKR and speculate on the potential mechanisms that trigger activation of PKR during bacterial infection. Finally, we provide an overview of existing pharmacological modulators of PKR that could be explored as novel treatment strategies for bacterial infections.

Inducible ATP1B1 Upregulates Antiviral Innate Immune Responses by the Ubiquitination of TRAF3 and TRAF6

The antiviral innate immune responses are crucial steps during host defense and must be strictly regulated, but the molecular mechanisms of control remain unclear. In this study, we report increased expression of human ATPase Na⁺/K⁺ transporting subunit β 1(ATP1B1) after DNA and RNA virus infections. We found that the expression of ATP1B1 can inhibit viral replication and increase the levels of IFNs, IFN-stimulated genes, and inflammatory cytokines. Knockdown of ATP1B1 by specific short hairpin RNA had the opposite effects. Upon viral infection, ATP1B1 was induced, interacted with TRAF3 and TRAF6, and potentiated the ubiquitination of these proteins, leading to increased phosphorylation of downstream molecules, including TGF-β-activated kinase 1 (TAK1) and TANK-binding kinase 1 (TBK1). These results reveal a previously unrecognized role of ATP1B1 in antiviral innate immunity and suggest a novel mechanism for the induction of IFNs and proinflammatory cytokines during viral infection.

Glycogen synthase kinase (GSK)-3 and the double-strand RNA-dependent kinase, PKR: When two kinases for the common good turn bad

Glycogen synthase kinase (GSK)-3α/β and the double-stranded RNA-dependent kinase PKR are two sentinel kinases that carry-out multiple similar yet distinct functions in both the cytosol and the nucleus. While these kinases belong to separate signal transduction cascades, they demonstrate an uncanny propensity to regulate many of the same proteins either through direct phosphorylation or by altering transcription/translation, including: c-MYC, NF-κB, p53 and TAU, as well as each another. A significant number of studies centered on the GSK3 kinases have led to the identification of the GSK3 interactome and a number of substrates, which link GSK3 activity to metabolic control, translation, RNA splicing, ribosome biogenesis, cellular division, DNA repair and stress/inflammatory signaling. Interestingly, many of these same pathways and processes are controlled by PKR, but unlike the GSK3 kinases, a clear picture of proteins interacting with PKR and a complete listing of its substrates is still missing. In this review, we take a detailed look at what is known about the PKR and GSK3 kinases, how these kinases interact to influence common cellular processes (innate immunity, alternative splicing, translation, glucose metabolism) and how aberrant activation of these kinases leads to diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), diabetes mellitus (DM) and cancer.

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GSK3α/β and PKR are major regulators of cellular homeostasis and the response to stress/inflammation and infection.

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GSK3α/β and PKR interact with and/or modify many of the same proteins and affect the expression of similar genes.

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A balance between AKT and PKR nuclear signaling may be responsible for regulating the activation of nuclear GSK3β.

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GSK3α/β- and PKR-dependent signaling influence major molecular mechanisms of the cell through similar intermediates.

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Aberrant activation of GSK3α/β and PKR is highly involved in cancer, metabolic disorders, and neurodegenerative diseases.

Myxoma Virus-Encoded Host Range Protein M029: A Multifunctional Antagonist Targeting Multiple Host Antiviral and Innate Immune Pathways

Myxoma virus (MYXV) is the prototypic member of the Leporipoxvirus genus of the Poxviridae family of viruses. In nature, MYXV is highly restricted to leporids and causes a lethal disease called myxomatosis only in European rabbits (Oryctologous cuniculus). However, MYXV has been shown to also productively infect various types of nonrabbit transformed and cancer cells in vitro and in vivo, whereas their normal somatic cell counterparts undergo abortive infections. This selective tropism of MYXV for cancer cells outside the rabbit host has facilitated its development as an oncolytic virus for the treatment of different types of cancers. Like other poxviruses, MYXV possesses a large dsDNA genome which encodes an array of dozens of immunomodulatory proteins that are important for host and cellular tropism and modulation of host antiviral innate immune responses, some of which are rabbit-specific and others can function in nonrabbit cells as well. This review summarizes the functions of one such MYXV host range protein, M029, an ortholog of the larger superfamily of poxvirus encoded E3-like dsRNA binding proteins. M029 has been identified as a multifunctional protein involved in MYXV cellular and host tropism, antiviral responses, and pathogenicity in rabbits.

Persistence of Integrase-Deficient Lentiviral Vectors Correlates with the Induction of STING-Independent CD8+ T Cell Responses

Lentiviruses are among the most promising viral vectors for in vivo gene delivery. To overcome the risk of insertional mutagenesis, integrase-deficient lentiviral vectors (IDLVs) have been developed. We show here that strong and persistent specific cytotoxic T cell (CTL) responses are induced by IDLVs, which persist several months after a single injection. These responses were associated with the induction of mild and transient maturation of dendritic cells (DCs) and with the production of low levels of inflammatory cytokines and chemokines. They were independent of the IFN-I, TLR/MyD88, interferon regulatory factor (IRF), retinoic acid induced gene I (RIG-I), and stimulator of interferon genes (STING) pathways but require NF-κB signaling in CD11c⁺ DCs. Despite the lack of integration of IDLVs, the transgene persists for 3 months in the spleen and liver of IDLV-injected mice. These results demonstrate that the capacity of IDLVs to trigger persistent adaptive responses is mediated by a weak and transient innate response, along with the persistence of the vector in tissues.

Uncovering Tumour Heterogeneity through PKR and nc886 Analysis in Metastatic Colon Cancer Patients Treated with 5-FU-Based Chemotherapy

Colorectal cancer treatment has advanced over the past decade. The drug 5-fluorouracil is still used with a wide percentage of patients who do not respond. Therefore, a challenge is the identification of predictive biomarkers. The protein kinase R (PKR also called EIF2AK2) and its regulator, the non-coding pre-mir-nc886, have multiple effects on cells in response to numerous types of stress, including chemotherapy. In this work, we performed an ambispective study with 197 metastatic colon cancer patients with unresectable metastases to determine the relative expression levels of both nc886 and PKR by qPCR, as well as the location of PKR by immunohistochemistry in tumour samples and healthy tissues (plasma and colon epithelium). As primary end point, the expression levels were related to the objective response to first-line chemotherapy following the response evaluation criteria in solid tumours (RECIST) and, as the second end point, with survival at 18 and 36 months. Hierarchical agglomerative clustering was performed to accommodate the heterogeneity and complexity of oncological patients’ data. High expression levels of nc886 were related to the response to treatment and allowed to identify clusters of patients. Although the PKR mRNA expression was not associated with chemotherapy response, the absence of PKR location in the nucleolus was correlated with first-line chemotherapy response. Moreover, a relationship between survival and the expression of both PKR and nc886 in healthy tissues was found. Therefore, this work evaluated the best way to analyse the potential biomarkers PKR and nc886 in order to establish clusters of patients depending on the cancer outcomes using algorithms for complex and heterogeneous data.

NF-κB Activation Promotes Alphavirus Replication in Mature Neurons

Alphaviruses are enveloped, positive-sense RNA viruses that are important causes of viral encephalomyelitis. Sindbis virus (SINV) infects the neurons of rodents and is a model for studying factors that regulate infection of neuronal cells. The outcome of alphavirus infection of the central nervous system is dependent on neuronal maturation status. Differentiated mature neurons survive and control viral replication better than undifferentiated immature neurons. The cellular factors involved in age-dependent susceptibility include higher levels of antiapoptotic and innate immune factors in mature neurons. Because NF-κB pathway activation is required for the initiation of both apoptosis and the host antiviral response, we analyzed the role of NF-κB during SINV infection of differentiated and undifferentiated rat neuronal cells. SINV infection induced canonical NF-κB activation, as evidenced by the degradation of IκBα and the phosphorylation and nuclear translocation of p65. Inhibition or deletion of the upstream IκB kinase substantially reduced SINV replication in differentiated but not in undifferentiated neuronal cells or mouse embryo fibroblasts. NF-κB inhibition did not affect the establishment of infection, replication complex formation, the synthesis of nonstructural proteins, or viral RNA synthesis in differentiated neurons. However, the translation of structural proteins was impaired, phosphorylation of the α subunit of eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2 (eIF2α) was decreased, and host protein synthesis was maintained, suggesting that NF-κB activation was involved in the regulation of translation during infection of mature neurons. Inhibition or deletion of double-stranded RNA-activated protein kinase (PKR) also decreased eIF2α phosphorylation, the translation of viral structural proteins, and virus production. Therefore, canonical NF-κB activation synergizes with PKR to promote SINV replication in differentiated neurons by facilitating viral structural protein translation.IMPORTANCE Mosquito-borne alphaviruses are a significant and growing cause of viral encephalomyelitis worldwide. The outcome of alphaviral neuronal infections is host age dependent and greatly affected by neuronal maturation status, with differentiated, mature neurons being more resistant to infection than undifferentiated, immature neurons. The biological factors that change during neuronal maturation and that influence the outcome of viral infection are currently only partially defined. These studies investigated the role of NF-κB in determining the outcome of alphaviral infection in mature and immature neurons. Inhibition of canonical NF-κB activation decreased alphavirus replication in mature neurons by regulating protein synthesis and limiting the production of the viral structural proteins but had little effect on viral replication in immature neurons or fibroblasts. Therefore, NF-κB is a signaling pathway that influences the maturation-dependent outcome of alphaviral infection in neurons and that highlights the importance of cellular context in determining the effects of signal pathway activation.

Protein kinase R and its cellular regulators in cancer: An active player or a surveillant?

Protein kinase R (PKR), originally known as an antiviral protein, senses various stresses as well as pathogen-driven double-stranded RNAs. Thereby activated PKR provokes diverse downstream events, including eIF2α phosphorylation and nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells activation. Consequently, PKR induces apoptosis and inflammation, both of which are highly important in cancer as much as its original antiviral role. Therefore, cellular proteins and RNAs should tightly control PKR activity. PKR and its regulators are often dysregulated in cancer and it is undoubted that such dysregulation contributes to tumorigenesis. However, PKR's precise role in cancer is still in debate, due to incomprehensible and even contradictory data. In this review, we introduce important cellular PKR regulators and discuss about their roles in cancer. Among them, we pay particular attention to nc886, a PKR repressor noncoding RNA that has been identified relatively recently, because its expression pattern in cancer can explain interesting yet obscure oncologic aspects of PKR. Based on nc886 and its regulation of PKR, we have proposed a tumor surveillance model, which reconciles contradictory data about PKR in cancer. This article is categorized under: Regulatory RNAs/RNAi/Riboswitches > Regulatory RNAs RNA Interactions with Proteins and Other Molecules > Protein-RNA Interactions: Functional Implications.

Evidence of Aberrant Immune Response by Endogenous Double-Stranded RNAs: Attack from Within

Many innate immune response proteins recognize foreign nucleic acids from invading pathogens to initiate antiviral signaling. These proteins mostly rely on structural characteristics of the nucleic acids rather than their specific sequences to distinguish self and nonself. One feature utilized by RNA sensors is the extended stretch of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) base pairs. However, the criteria for recognizing nonself dsRNAs are rather lenient, and hairpin structure of self-RNAs can also trigger an immune response. Consequently, aberrant activation of RNA sensors has been reported in numerous human diseases. Yet, in most cases, the activating antigens remain unknown. Recent studies have developed sequencing techniques tailored to specifically capture dsRNAs and identified that various noncoding elements in the nuclear and the mitochondrial genome can generate dsRNAs. Here, the identity of endogenous dsRNAs, their recognition by dsRNA sensors, and their implications in the pathogenesis of human diseases ranging from inflammatory to degenerative are presented.

Double-stranded RNA-dependent kinase PKR activates NF-κB pathway in acute pancreatitis

The activation of transcription factor nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) occurs early in acute pancreatitis (AP) simultaneously with intracellular trypsinogen activation. Double-stranded RNA-dependent kinase (PKR) promotes the activation of NF-κB and the production of pro-inflammatory factors including tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin 6 (IL-6). The rat and rat pancreatic AR42J cells were treated by cerulein to establish AP models, showing PKR increased. TNF-α, IL-6 and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) in AP pancreatic tissues and cerulein-treated AR42J cells increased, while PKR knockdown in AR42J cells reversed cerulein-induced inflammatory response and pancreatic cell injury. In addition, inhibitor of kappa B kinase α (IKKα), phosphorylated P65 (p-P65), P65 increased in cerulein-treated AR42J cells. Meanwhile, in cerulein-treated AR42J cells, interaction between PKR and IKKα, as well as the co-localization and nuclear accumulation of PKR and P65, were detected. Furthermore, cerulein induced the phosphorylation and nuclear translocation of P65, which indicated the activation of NF-κB, while PKR knockdown hindered NF-κB activation to alleviate pancreatic cell injury. In summary, PKR might promote NF-κB activation via facilitating its phosphorylation and nuclear translocation, thus accelerated inflammatory response and pancreatic cell injury in AP, implying a novel molecular target for the treatment of AP.

NFκB-mediated activation of the cellular FUT3, 5 and 6 gene cluster by herpes simplex virus type 1

Herpes simplex virus type 1 has the ability to induce expression of a human gene cluster located on chromosome 19 upon infection. This gene cluster contains three fucosyltransferases (encoded by FUT3, FUT5 and FUT6) with the ability to add a fucose to an N-acetylglucosamine residue. Little is known regarding the transcriptional activation of these three genes in human cells. Intriguingly, herpes simplex virus type 1 activates all three genes simultaneously during infection, a situation not observed in uninfected tissue, pointing towards a virus specific mechanism for transcriptional activation. The aim of this study was to define the underlying mechanism for the herpes simplex virus type 1 activation of FUT3, FUT5 and FUT6 transcription. The transcriptional activation of the FUT-gene cluster on chromosome 19 in fibroblasts was specific, not involving adjacent genes. Moreover, inhibition of NFκB signaling through panepoxydone treatment significantly decreased the induction of FUT3, FUT5 and FUT6 transcriptional activation, as did siRNA targeting of p65, in herpes simplex virus type 1 infected fibroblasts. NFκB and p65 signaling appears to play an important role in the regulation of FUT3, FUT5 and FUT6 transcriptional activation by herpes simplex virus type 1 although additional, unidentified, viral factors might account for part of the mechanism as direct interferon mediated stimulation of NFκB was not sufficient to induce the fucosyltransferase encoding gene cluster in uninfected cells.

Exacerbated Apoptosis of Cells Infected with Infectious Bursal Disease Virus upon Exposure to Interferon Alpha

Infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) belongs to the Birnaviridae family and is the etiological agent of a highly contagious and immunosuppressive disease (IBD) that affects domestic chickens (Gallus gallus). IBD or Gumboro disease leads to high rates of morbidity and mortality of infected animals and is responsible for major economic losses to the poultry industry worldwide. IBD is characterized by a massive loss of IgM-bearing B lymphocytes and the destruction of the bursa of Fabricius. The molecular bases of IBDV pathogenicity are still poorly understood; nonetheless, an exacerbated cytokine immune response and B cell depletion due to apoptosis are considered main factors that contribute to the severity of the disease. Here we have studied the role of type I interferon (IFN) in IBDV infection. While IFN pretreatment confers protection against subsequent IBDV infection, the addition of IFN to infected cell cultures early after infection drives massive apoptotic cell death. Downregulation of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA)-dependent protein kinase (PKR), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), or nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) expression drastically reduces the extent of apoptosis, indicating that they are critical proteins in the apoptotic response induced by IBDV upon treatment with IFN-α. Our results indicate that IBDV genomic dsRNA is a major viral factor that contributes to the triggering of apoptosis. These findings provide novel insights into the potential mechanisms of IBDV-induced immunosuppression and pathogenesis in chickens.IMPORTANCE IBDV infection represents an important threat to the poultry industry worldwide. IBDV-infected chickens develop severe immunosuppression, which renders them highly susceptible to secondary infections and unresponsive to vaccination against other pathogens. The early dysregulation of the innate immune response led by IBDV infection and the exacerbated apoptosis of B cells have been proposed as the main factors that contribute to virus-induced immunopathogenesis. Our work contributes for the first time to elucidating a potential mechanism driving the apoptotic death of IBDV-infected cells upon exposure to type I IFN. We provide solid evidence about the critical importance of PKR, TNF-α, and NF-κB in this phenomenon. The described mechanism could facilitate the early clearance of infected cells, thereby aiding in the amelioration of IBDV-induced pathogenesis, but it could also contribute to B cell depletion and immunosuppression. The balance between these two opposing effects might be dramatically affected by the genetic backgrounds of both the host and the infecting virus strain.

Genome-Wide DNA Methylation Analysis in Systemic Sclerosis Reveals Hypomethylation of IFN-Associated Genes in CD4+ and CD8+ T Cells

Epigenetic modifications, including DNA methylation, play an important role in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases. In this study, we characterized the DNA methylome in primary T cells of patients with systemic sclerosis. Genome-wide DNA methylation assays of CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T cells from 24 systemic sclerosis patients and 24 matched controls were conducted and differentially methylated regions were validated. In the discovery stage, we found that hypomethylation of genes involved in the type I IFN signaling pathway was significantly enriched in both CD4⁺ (P = 7.59 × 10^-6) and CD8⁺ (P = 2.10 × 10^-8) differentially methylated regions. In the validation stage, we confirmed these changes for five type I IFN-associated genes. In addition, protein levels of both type I IFN-α (P < 0.0001) and β (P = 0.002) were significantly elevated in the sera of systemic sclerosis patients. Moreover, significant associations between type I IFN-α/β protein levels with the DNA methylation status as well as the expression profiles of these IFN-associated genes were confirmed. In conclusion, the type I IFN pathway is dysfunctional at the epigenetic level in systemic sclerosis patients, indicating that hypomethylation and upregulation of type I IFN-associated genes might be critical in systemic sclerosis pathogenesis.

Aberrant Myokine Signaling in Congenital Myotonic Dystrophy

Myotonic dystrophy types 1 (DM1) and 2 (DM2) are dominantly inherited neuromuscular disorders caused by a toxic gain of function of expanded CUG and CCUG repeats, respectively. Although both disorders are clinically similar, congenital myotonic dystrophy (CDM), a severe DM form, is found only in DM1. CDM is also characterized by muscle fiber immaturity not observed in adult DM, suggesting specific pathological mechanisms. Here, we revealed upregulation of the interleukin-6 (IL-6) myokine signaling pathway in CDM muscles. We also found a correlation between muscle immaturity and not only IL-6 expression but also expanded CTG repeat length and CpG methylation status upstream of the repeats. Aberrant CpG methylation was associated with transcriptional dysregulation at the repeat locus, increasing the toxic RNA burden that upregulates IL-6. Because the IL-6 pathway is involved in myocyte maturation and muscle atrophy, our results indicate that enhanced RNA toxicity contributes to severe CDM phenotypes through aberrant IL-6 signaling.

Blockade of the LRP16-PKR-NF-κB signaling axis sensitizes colorectal carcinoma cells to DNA-damaging cytotoxic therapy

Acquired therapeutic resistance by tumors is a substantial impediment to reducing the morbidity and mortality that are attributable to human malignancies. The mechanisms responsible for the dramatic shift between chemosensitivity and chemoresistance in colorectal carcinoma have not been defined. Here, we report that LRP16 selectively interacts and activates double-stranded RNA-dependent kinase (PKR), and also acts as scaffolds to assist the formation of a ternary complex of PKR and IKKβ, prolonging the polymers of ADP-ribose (PAR)-dependent nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) transactivation caused by DNA-damaging agents and confers acquired chemoresistance. We also identified a small molecule, MRS2578, which strikingly abrogated the binding of LRP16 to PKR and IKKβ, converting LRP16 into a death molecule and forestalling colon tumorigenesis. Inclusion of MRS2578 with etoposide, versus each drug alone, exhibited synergistic antitumor cytotoxicity in xenografts. Our combinatorial approach introduces a strategy to enhance the efficacy of genotoxicity therapies for the treatment of tumors.

Employing RNA viruses to fight cancer: novel insights into oncolytic virotherapy

Within recent decades, viruses that specifically target tumor cells have emerged as novel therapeutic agents against cancer. These viruses do not only act via their cell-lytic properties, but also harbor immunostimulatory features to re-direct the tumor microenvironment and stimulate tumor-directed immune responses. Furthermore, oncolytic viruses are considered to be superior to classical cancer therapies due to higher selectivity towards tumor cell destruction and, consequently, less collateral damage of non-transformed healthy tissue. In particular, the field of oncolytic RNA viruses is rapidly developing since these agents possess alternative tumor-targeting strategies compared to established oncolytic DNA viruses. Thus, oncolytic RNA viruses have broadened the field of virotherapy facilitating new strategies to fight cancer. In addition to several naturally occurring oncolytic viruses, genetically modified RNA viruses that are armed to express foreign factors such as immunostimulatory molecules have been successfully tested in early clinical trials showing promising efficacy. This review aims to provide an overview of the most promising RNA viruses in clinical development, to summarize the current knowledge of clinical trials using these viral agents, and to discuss the main issues as well as future perspectives of clinical approaches using oncolytic RNA viruses.

Clinical and therapeutic potential of protein kinase PKR in cancer and metabolism

The protein kinase R (PKR, also called EIF2AK2) is an interferon-inducible double-stranded RNA protein kinase with multiple effects on cells that plays an active part in the cellular response to numerous types of stress. PKR has been extensively studied and documented for its relevance as an antiviral agent and a cell growth regulator. Recently, the role of PKR related to metabolism, inflammatory processes, cancer and neurodegenerative diseases has gained interest. In this review, we summarise and discuss the involvement of PKR in several cancer signalling pathways and the dual role that this kinase plays in cancer disease. We emphasise the importance of PKR as a molecular target for both conventional chemotherapeutics and emerging treatments based on novel drugs, and its potential as a biomarker and therapeutic target for several pathologies. Finally, we discuss the impact that the recent knowledge regarding PKR involvement in metabolism has in our understanding of the complex processes of cancer and metabolism pathologies, highlighting the translational research establishing the clinical and therapeutic potential of this pleiotropic kinase.

Zebularine upregulates expression of CYP genes through inhibition of DNMT1 and PKR in HepG2 cells

Drug-induced hepatotoxicity is one of the major reasons cited for drug withdrawal. Therefore, it is of extreme importance to detect human hepatotoxic candidates as early as possible during the drug development process. In this study, we aimed to enhance hepatocyte functions such as CYP gene expression in HepG2 cells, one of the most extensively used cell lines in evaluating hepatotoxicity of chemicals and drugs. We found that zebularine, a potent inhibitor of DNA methylation, remarkably upregulates the expression of CYP genes in HepG2 cells. In addition, we revealed that the upregulation of CYP gene expression by zebularine was mediated through the inhibition of both DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) and double-stranded RNA-dependent protein kinase (PKR). Furthermore, HepG2 cells treated with zebularine were more sensitive than control cells to drug toxicity. Taken together, our results show that zebularine may make HepG2 cells high-functioning and thus could be useful for evaluating the hepatotoxicity of chemicals and drugs speedily and accurately in in-vitro systems. The finding that zebularine upregulates CYP gene expression through DNMT1 and PKR modulation sheds light on the mechanisms controlling hepatocyte function and thus may aid in the development of new in-vitro systems using high-functioning hepatocytes.

Targeting IKK and NF-κB for Therapy

In addition to regulating immune responses, the NF-κB family of transcription factors also promotes cellular proliferation and survival. NF-κB and its activating kinase, IKK, have become appealing therapeutic targets because of their critical roles in the progression of many diseases including chronic inflammation and cancer. Here, we discuss the conditions that lead to pathway activation, the effects of constitutive activation, and some of the strategies used to inhibit NF-κB signaling.

The small molecule '1-(4-biphenylylcarbonyl)-4-(5-bromo-2-methoxybenzyl) piperazine oxalate' and its derivatives regulate global protein synthesis by inactivating eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2-alpha

By environmental stresses, cells can initiate a signaling pathway in which eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2-alpha (eIF2-α) is involved to regulate the response. Phosphorylation of eIF2-α results in the reduction of overall protein neogenesis, which allows cells to conserve resources and to reprogram energy usage for effective stress control. To investigate the role of eIF2-α in cell stress responses, we conducted a viability-based compound screen under endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress condition, and identified 1-(4-biphenylylcarbonyl)-4-(5-bromo-2-methoxybenzyl) piperazine oxalate (AMC-01) and its derivatives as eIF2-α-inactivating chemical. Molecular characterization of this signaling pathway revealed that AMC-01 induced inactivation of eIF2-α by phosphorylating serine residue 51 in a dose- and time-dependent manner, while the negative control compounds did not affect eIF2-α phosphorylation. In contrast with ER stress induction by thapsigargin, phosphorylation of eIF2-α persisted for the duration of incubation with AMC-01. By pathway analysis, AMC-01 clearly induced the activation of protein kinase RNA-activated (PKR) kinase and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), whereas it did not modulate the activity of PERK or heme-regulated inhibitor (HRI). Finally, we could detect a lower protein translation rate in cells incubated with AMC-01, establishing AMC-01 as a potent chemical probe that can regulate eIF2-α activity. We suggest from these data that AMC-01 and its derivative compounds can be used as chemical probes in future studies of the role of eIF2-α in protein synthesis-related cell physiology.

Inhibition of viral protein translation by indomethacin in vesicular stomatitis virus infection: role of eIF2α kinase PKR

Indomethacin, a cyclooxygenase‐1 and ‐2 inhibitor widely used in the clinic for its potent anti‐inflammatory/analgesic properties, possesses antiviral activity against several viral pathogens; however, the mechanism of antiviral action remains elusive. We have recently shown that indomethacin activates the double‐stranded RNA (dsRNA)‐dependent protein kinase R (PKR) in human colon cancer cells. Because of the important role of PKR in the cellular defence response against viral infection, herein we investigated the effect of indomethacin on PKR activity during infection with the prototype rhabdovirus vesicular stomatitis virus. Indomethacin was found to activate PKR in an interferon‐ and dsRNA‐independent manner, causing rapid (< 5 min) phosphorylation of eukaryotic initiation factor‐2 α‐subunit (eIF2α). These events resulted in shutting off viral protein translation and blocking viral replication (IC₅₀ = 2 μM) while protecting host cells from virus‐induced damage. Indomethacin did not affect eIF2α kinases PKR‐like endoplasmic reticulum‐resident protein kinase (PERK) and general control non‐derepressible‐2 (GCN2) kinase, and was unable to trigger eIF2α phosphorylation in the presence of PKR inhibitor 2‐aminopurine. In addition, small‐interfering RNA‐mediated PKR gene silencing dampened the antiviral effect in indomethacin‐treated cells. The results identify PKR as a critical target for the antiviral activity of indomethacin and indicate that eIF2α phosphorylation could be a key element in the broad spectrum antiviral activity of the drug.

Integration of PKR-dependent translation inhibition with innate immunity is required for a coordinated anti-viral response

Viral triggering of the innate immune response in infected cells aims at delaying viral replication and prevents tissue spreading. Viral replication is delayed by host protein synthesis inhibition and infected cell apoptosis on one hand, while infection spreading is controlled by the synthesis of specific proteins like type-I interferons (IFNs) and pro-inflammatory cytokines on the other hand. How do these two apparent conflicting responses cooperate within the same infected cells to mount effective defenses against pathogens? What are the molecules or the complexes resolving this contradiction over time? Some recent studies reveal unanticipated connections between innate immunity and stress pathways, giving important clues on how the cellular responses are orchestrated to limit infection efficiently.

Double stranded RNA-dependent protein kinase promotes the tumorigenic phenotype in HepG2 hepatocellular carcinoma cells by activating STAT3

Previously known as a first-response protein upon viral infection and other stress signals, double-stranded RNA-dependent protein kinase (PKR, also termed EIF2AK2) has been found to be differentially expressed in multiple types of tumor, including hepatocellular carcinoma, suggesting that PKR may be involved in tumor initiation and development. However, whether and how PKR promotes or suppresses the development of hepatocellular carcinoma remains controversial. In the present study, PKR expression was investigated using qPCR and western blot analysis, which revealed that PKR expression was upregulated in liver tumor tissues, when compared to that of adjacent normal tissues, which were obtained from four primary liver cancer patients. Furthermore, in vitro cellular assays revealed that PKR exerts a key role in maintaining the proliferation and migration of HepG2 human hepatocellular carcinoma cells. Mouse models with xenograft transplantations also confirmed a tumorigenic role of PKR in HepG2 cells. Furthermore, a transcription factor, signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), was revealed to mediate the tumor-promoting function of PKR in HepG2 cells, as shown by in vitro cellular proliferation and migration assays. In conclusion, the results suggested a tumorigenic role of PKR in liver cancer and a detailed mechanism involving an oncogenic transcription factor, STAT3, is described. Therefore, PKR may present a potential novel therapeutic target for the treatment of liver cancer.

Intratumoral injection of PKR shRNA expressing plasmid inhibits B16-F10 melanoma growth

The RNA-dependent protein kinase (PKR) is a serine/threonine kinase that is involved in the regulation of important cell processes such as apoptosis, signal transduction, cell proliferation and differentiation. However, the role played by PKR in cancer remains controversial. RNA interference (RNAi) has currently become an important technique in understanding gene function. Previously, we showed that PKR shRNA downregulates PKR expression in B16-F10 melanoma cells and reduces the metastatic potential of these tumor cells. In the present study, we examined the effect of the intratumoral injection of PKR shRNA‑expressing plasmid on the growth of B16-F10 melanoma in mice. The results showed that this treatment significantly reduced tumor growth. Thus, these findings suggested that PKR acts as a tumor suppressor, a finding that is consistent with our previous study on the experimental model of metastasis. Moreover, the results suggested that this effect may be mediated by the transcription factor NF-κB. The present study confirmed the hypothesis that the direct administration of RNAi-based therapeutics in the target tumor is a promising approach for overcoming the obstacles of systemic delivery. The results also suggested that the intratumoral injection of PKR shRNA‑expressing vector is a novel therapeutic approach for human solid tumors such as cutaneous melanoma and breast cancer, since PKR is overexpressed in these tumors.

The impact of PKR activation: from neurodegeneration to cancer

An inverse association between cancer and neurodegeneration is plausible because these biological processes share several genes and signaling pathways. Whereas uncontrolled cell proliferation and decreased apoptotic cell death governs cancer, excessive apoptosis contributes to neurodegeneration. Protein kinase R (PKR), an interferon-inducible double-stranded RNA protein kinase, is involved in both diseases. PKR activation blocks global protein synthesis through eIF2α phosphorylation, leading to cell death in response to a variety of cellular stresses. However, PKR also has the dual role of activating the nuclear factor κ-B pathway, promoting cell proliferation. Whereas PKR is recognized for its negative effects on neurodegenerative diseases, in part, inducing high level of apoptosis, the role of PKR activation in cancer remains controversial. In general, PKR is considered to have a tumor suppressor function, and some clinical data show a correlation between suppressed or inactivated PKR and a poor prognosis for several cancers. However, other studies show high PKR expression and activation levels in various cancers, suggesting that PKR might contribute to neoplastic progression. Understanding the cellular factors and signals involved in the regulation of PKR in these age-related diseases is relevant and may have important clinical implications. The present review highlights the current knowledge on the role of PKR in neurodegeneration and cancer, with special emphasis on its regulation and clinical implications.

Palmitate-activated astrocytes via serine palmitoyltransferase increase BACE1 in primary neurons by sphingomyelinases

Astrocytes play a critical role in neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease (AD). Previously, we showed that saturated free fatty acid, palmitic acid (PA), upregulates β-site amyloid precursor protein-cleaving enzyme 1 (BACE1) level and amyloidogenesis in primary rat neurons mediated by astrocytes. However, the molecular mechanisms by which conditioned media from PA-treated astrocytes upregulates BACE1 level in neurons are unknown. This study demonstrates that serine palmitoyltransferase (SPT) in the astrocytes increases ceramide levels, which enhances the release of cytokines that mediate the activation of neural and acidic sphingomyelinase (SMase) in the neurons, to propagate the deleterious effects of PA (i.e., BACE1 upregulation). In support of the relevance of SPT in AD, our laboratory recently measured and found SPT levels to be significantly upregulated in AD brains as compared with controls. Cytokines, namely tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-1β, released into the conditioned media of PA-treated astrocytes activate neural and acidic SMase in the neurons. Neutralizing the cytokines in the PA-treated astrocyte conditioned media reduced BACE1 upregulation. However, inhibiting SPT in the astrocytes decreased the levels of both tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-1β in the conditioned media, which in turn reduced the SMase activities and BACE1 level in primary neurons. Thus, our results suggest that the activation of the astrocytes by PA is mediated by SPT, and the activated astrocytes increases BACE1 level in the neurons; the latter is mediate by the SMases.

A moderate increase in ambient temperature modulates the Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) spleen transcriptome response to intraperitoneal viral mimic injection

BACKGROUND

Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) reared in sea-cages can experience large variations in temperature, and these have been shown to affect their immune function. We used the new 20K Atlantic cod microarray to investigate how a water temperature change which, simulates that seen in Newfoundland during the spring-summer (i.e. from 10°C to 16°C, 1°C increase every 5 days) impacted the cod spleen transcriptome response to the intraperitoneal injection of a viral mimic (polyriboinosinic polyribocytidylic acid, pIC).

RESULTS

The temperature regime alone did not cause any significant increases in plasma cortisol levels and only minor changes in spleen gene transcription. However, it had a considerable impact on the fish spleen transcriptome response to pIC [290 and 339 significantly differentially expressed genes between 16°C and 10°C at 6 and 24 hours post-injection (HPI), respectively]. Seventeen microarray-identified transcripts were selected for QPCR validation based on immune-relevant functional annotations. Fifteen of these transcripts (i.e. 88%), including DHX58, STAT1, IRF7, ISG15, RSAD2 and IκBα, were shown by QPCR to be significantly induced by pIC.

CONCLUSIONS

The temperature increase appeared to accelerate the spleen immune transcriptome response to pIC. We found 41 and 999 genes differentially expressed between fish injected with PBS vs. pIC at 10°C and sampled at 6HPI and 24HPI, respectively. In contrast, there were 656 and 246 genes differentially expressed between fish injected with PBS vs. pIC at 16°C and sampled at 6HPI and 24HPI, respectively. Our results indicate that the modulation of mRNA expression of genes belonging to the NF-κB and type I interferon signal transduction pathways may play a role in controlling temperature-induced changes in the spleen's transcript expression response to pIC. Moreover, interferon effector genes such as ISG15 and RSAD2 were differentially expressed between fish injected with pIC at 10°C vs. 16°C at 6HPI. These results substantially increase our understanding of the genes and molecular pathways involved in the negative impacts of elevated ambient temperature on fish health, and may also be valuable to our understanding of how accelerated global climate change could impact cold-water marine finfish species.

The RAX/PACT-PKR stress response pathway promotes p53 sumoylation and activation, leading to G₁ arrest

Cellular stresses, including growth factor deprivation, inflammatory cytokines or viral infection promote RAX/PACT-dependent activation of the double-stranded RNA-dependent protein kinase, PKR, to phosphorylate eIF2α, resulting in translation inhibition and apoptosis. In addition, PKR has been reported to regulate p53, STAT1 and NFκB. Here, we report that RAX/PACT interacts with the SUMO E2 ligase Ubc9 to stimulate p53-Ubc9 association and reversible p53 sumoylation on lysine 386. In addition, expression of RAX/PACT in a variety of cell lines promotes p53 stability and activity to increase p53 target gene expression. Significantly, while the expression of RAX/PACT, PKR or p53 alone has little effect on the cell cycle of p53-null H1299 cells, co-expression of p53 with either RAX/PACT or PKR promotes a 25-35% increase of cells in G₁. In contrast, co-expression of RAX/PACT with the sumoylation-deficient p53(K386R) mutant or with the desumoylase SENP1 fails to induce such a G₁ arrest. Furthermore, co-expression of p53, RAX/PACT and the dominantnegative PKR(K296R) mutant inhibits RAX/PACT-induced, p53-dependent G₁ growth arrest and expression of RAX/PACT in pkr(+/+) but not pkr(-/-) MEF cells promotes p53 and p21 expression following gamma irradiation. Significantly, p53 stability is decreased in cells with reduced RAX/PACT or PKR following doxorubicin treatment, and expression of exogenous RAX/ PACT promotes phosphorylation of wild-type but not p53(K386R) on serine 392. Collectively, results indicate that, in response to stress, the RAX/PACT-PKR signaling pathway may inhibit p53 protein turnover by a sumoylation-dependent mechanism with promotion of p53 phosphorylation and translational activation leading to G₁ cell cycle arrest.

The chemotherapeutic drug 5-fluorouracil promotes PKR-mediated apoptosis in a p53-independent manner in colon and breast cancer cells

The chemotherapeutic drug 5-FU is widely used in the treatment of a range of cancers, but resistance to the drug remains a major clinical problem. Since defects in the mediators of apoptosis may account for chemo-resistance, the identification of new targets involved in 5-FU-induced apoptosis is of main clinical interest. We have identified the ds-RNA-dependent protein kinase (PKR) as a key molecular target of 5-FU involved in apoptosis induction in human colon and breast cancer cell lines. PKR distribution and activation, apoptosis induction and cytotoxic effects were analyzed during 5-FU and 5-FU/IFNα treatment in several colon and breast cancer cell lines with different p53 status. PKR protein was activated by 5-FU treatment in a p53-independent manner, inducing phosphorylation of the protein synthesis translation initiation factor eIF-2α and cell death by apoptosis. Furthermore, PKR interference promoted a decreased response to 5-FU treatment and those cells were not affected by the synergistic antitumor activity of 5-FU/IFNα combination. These results, taken together, provide evidence that PKR is a key molecular target of 5-FU with potential relevance in the clinical use of this drug.

Rapid, cell-based toxicity screen of potentially therapeutic post-transcriptional gene silencing agents

Post-transcriptional gene silencing (PTGS) agents such as antisense, ribozymes and RNA interference (RNAi) have great potential as therapeutics for a variety of eye diseases including retinal and macular degenerations, glaucoma, corneal degenerations, inflammatory and viral conditions. Despite their great potential and over thirty years of academic and corporate research only a single PTGS agent is currently approved for human therapy for a single disease. Substantial challenges exist to achieving both efficacious and safe PTGS agents. Efficacy, as measured in specific target mRNA and protein knockdown, depends upon a number of complex factors including the identification of rare regions of target mRNA accessibility, cellular co-localization of the PTGS agent in sufficient concentration with the target mRNA, and stability of the PTGS agent in the target cells in which it is delivered or expressed. Safety is commonly measured by lack of cytotoxicity or other deleterious cellular responses in cells in which the PTGS agent is delivered or expressed. To relieve major bottlenecks in RNA drug discovery novel, efficient, inexpensive, and rapid tools are needed to facilitate lead identification of the most efficacious PTGS agent, rational optimization of efficacy of the lead agent, and lead agent safety determinations. We have developed a technological platform using cell culture expression systems that permits lead identification and efficacy optimization of PTGS agents against arbitrary disease target mRNAs under relatively high throughput conditions. Here, we extend the technology platform to include PTGS safety determinations in cultured human cells that are expected to represent the common cellular housekeeping microenvironment. We developed a high throughput screening (HTS) cytotoxicity assay in 96-well plate format based around the SYTOX Green dye which is excluded from healthy viable cells and becomes substantially fluorescent only after entering cells and binding to nuclear DNA. In this format we can test a number of PTGS agents for cellular toxicity relative to control elements. We also developed an HTS 96-well plate assay that allows us to assess the impact of any given PTGS agent on stimulating a variety of common cellular stress signaling pathways (e.g. CRE, SRE, AP-1, NFκB, Myc, and NFAT) that could indicate possible deleterious effects of PTGS agents either dependent or independent of base pairing complementarity with target mRNAs. To this end we exploited the secreted alkaline phosphatase (SEAP) Pathway Profiling System where the expression of the secreted reporter protein is coupled to transcriptional activation of a variety of promoter elements involved in common cell signaling pathways. We found that a variety of lead hammerhead ribozyme (hhRz) and short hairpin (shRNA) expression constructs did not exert cytotoxicity in human cells when driven by highly active RNA Pol-III promoters. We also found that most of the cell signaling pathways tested (CRE, SRE, Myc, and NFAT) did not significantly couple through upregulation to expression of the set of PTGS agents tested. AP-1 and NFκB upregulation both appear to couple to the expression of some PTGS agents which likely reflect the known properties of these pathways to be stimulated by abundant small structured RNAs.

Chlamydia trachomatis-infected host cells resist dsRNA-induced apoptosis

Human pathogenic Chlamydia trachomatis have evolved sophisticated mechanisms to manipulate host cell signalling pathways in order to prevent apoptosis. We show here that host cells infected with C. trachomatis resist apoptosis induced by polyI:C, a synthetic double-stranded RNA that mimics viral infections. Infected cells displayed significantly reduced levels of PARP cleavage, caspase-3 activation and a decrease in the TUNEL positive population in the presence of polyI:C. Interestingly, the chlamydial block of apoptosis was upstream of the initiator caspase-8. Processing of caspase-8 was reduced in infected cells and coincided with a decrease in Bid truncation and downstream caspase-9 cleavage. Moreover, the enzymatic activity of caspase-8, measured by a luminescent substrate, was significantly reduced in infected cells. Caspase-8 inhibition by Chlamydia was dependent on cFlip as knock-down of cFlip decreased the chlamydial block of caspase-8 activation and consequently reduced apoptosis inhibition. Our data implicate that chlamydial infection interferes with the host cell's response to viral infections and thereby influences the fate of the cell.

A role for PKR in hematologic malignancies

The double-stranded RNA-dependent kinase PKR has been described for many years as strictly a pro-apoptotic kinase. Recent data suggest that the main purpose of this kinase is damage control and repair following stress and, if all else fails, apoptosis. Aberrant activation of PKR has been reported in numerous neurodegenerative diseases and cancer. Although a subset of myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and chronic lymphocytic leukemia contain low levels of PKR expression and activity, elevated PKR activity and/or expression have been detected in a wide range of hematologic malignancies, from bone marrow failure disorders to acute leukemia. With the recent findings that cancers containing elevated PKR activity are highly sensitive to PKR inhibition, we explore the role of PKR in hematologic malignancies, signal transduction pathways affected by PKR, and how PKR may contribute to leukemic transformation.

Interaction of double-stranded RNA-dependent protein kinase (PKR) with the death receptor signaling pathway in amyloid beta (Abeta)-treated cells and in APPSLPS1 knock-in mice

For 10 years, research has focused on signaling pathways controlling translation to explain neuronal death in Alzheimer Disease (AD). Previous studies demonstrated in different cellular and animal models and AD patients that translation is down-regulated by the activation of double-stranded RNA-dependent protein kinase (PKR). Among downstream factors of PKR, the Fas-associated protein with a death domain (FADD) and subsequent activated caspase-8 are responsible for PKR-induced apoptosis in recombinant virus-infected cells. However, no studies have reported the role of PKR in death receptor signaling in AD. The aim of this project is to determine physical and functional interactions of PKR with FADD in amyloid-beta peptide (Abeta) neurotoxicity and in APP(SL)PS1 KI transgenic mice. In SH-SY5Y cells, results showed that Abeta42 induced a large increase in phosphorylated PKR and FADD levels and a physical interaction between PKR and FADD in the nucleus, also observed in the cortex of APP(SL)PS1 KI mice. However, PKR gene silencing or treatment with a specific PKR inhibitor significantly prevented the increase in pT(451)-PKR and pS(194)-FADD levels in SH-SY5Y nuclei and completely inhibited activities of caspase-3 and -8. The contribution of PKR in neurodegeneration through the death receptor signaling pathway may support the development of therapeutics targeting PKR to limit neuronal death in AD.

The alpha/beta interferon receptor provides protection against influenza virus replication but is dispensable for inflammatory response signaling

The innate immune response provides the first line of defense against foreign pathogens by responding to molecules that are a signature of a pathogenic infection. Certain RNA viruses, such as influenza virus, produce double-stranded RNA as an intermediate during the replication life cycle, which activates pathogen recognition receptors capable of inducing interferon production. By engaging interferon receptors, interferon activates the JAK-STAT pathway and results in the positive feedback of interferon production, amplifying the response to viral infection. To examine how deficiencies in interferon signaling affect the cellular response to infection, we performed influenza virus infections of mouse embryonic fibroblasts lacking the alpha/beta interferon receptor, the gamma interferon receptor, or both. In the absence of the alpha/beta interferon receptor, we observed increased viral replication but decreased activation of PKR, Stat1, and NF-kappaB; the presence or absence of the gamma interferon receptor did not exhibit discernible differences in these readouts. Analysis of gene expression profiles showed that while cells lacking the alpha/beta interferon receptor exhibited decreased levels of transcription of antiviral genes, genes related to inflammatory and apoptotic responses were transcribed to levels similar to those of cells containing the receptor. These results indicate that while the alpha/beta interferon receptor is needed to curb viral replication, it is dispensable for the induction of certain inflammatory and apoptotic genes. We have identified potential pathways, via interferon regulatory factor 3 (IRF3) activation or Hoxa13, Polr2a, Nr4a1, or Ing1 induction, that contribute to this redundancy. This study illustrates another way in which the host has evolved to establish several overlapping mechanisms to respond to viral infections.

Characteristics of alpha/beta interferon induction after infection of murine fibroblasts with wild-type and mutant alphaviruses

We examined the characteristics of interferon alpha/beta (IFN-alpha/beta) induction after alphavirus or control Sendai virus (SeV) infection of murine fibroblasts (MEFs). As expected, SeV infection of wild-type (wt) MEFs resulted in strong dimerization of IRF3 and the production of high levels of IFN-alpha/beta. In contrast, infection of MEFs with multiple alphaviruses failed to elicit detectable IFN-alpha/beta. In more detailed studies, Sindbis virus (SINV) infection caused dimerization and nuclear migration of IRF3, but minimal IFN-beta promoter activity, although surprisingly, the infected cells were competent for IFN production by other stimuli early after infection. A SINV mutant defective in host macromolecular synthesis shutoff induced IFN-alpha/beta in the MEF cultures dependent upon the activities of the TBK1 IRF3 activating kinase and host pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) PKR and MDA5 but not RIG-I. These results suggest that wild-type alphaviruses antagonize IFN induction after IRF3 activation but also may avoid detection by host PRRs early after infection.

Old target new approach: an alternate NF-kappaB activation pathway via translation inhibition

Activation of the transcription factor NF-kappaB is a highly regulated multi-level process. The critical step during activation is the release from its inhibitor IkappaB, which as any other protein is under the direct influence of translation regulation. In this review, we summarize in detail the current understanding of the impact of translational regulation on NF-kappaB activation. We illustrate a newly developed mechanism of eIF2alpha kinase-mediated IkappaB depletion and subsequent NF-kappaB activation. We also show that the classical NF-kappaB activation pathways occur simultaneously with, and are complemented by, translational down regulation of the inhibitor molecule IkappaB, the importance of one or the other being shifted in accordance with the type and magnitude of the stressing agent or stimuli.

Repression of PKR mediates palmitate-induced apoptosis in HepG2 cells through regulation of Bcl-2

In the present study we found that double-stranded RNA-dependent protein kinase (PKR) regulates the protein expression level and the phosphorylation of Bcl-2 and exploits an anti-apoptotic role in human hepatocellular carcinoma cells (HepG2). Saturated free fatty acids (FFAs), e.g. palmitate, have been shown to induce cellular apoptosis in various types of cells by different mechanisms. We found palmitate down-regulates the activity of PKR, and thereby decreases the protein level of Bcl-2, mediated, in part, by the NF-κB transcription factor. In addition to the protein level of Bcl-2, the phosphorylation of Bcl-2 at different amino acid residues, such as Ser70 and Ser87, is also important in regulating cellular apoptosis. The decrease in the phosphorylation of Bcl-2 at Ser70 upon exposure to palmitate is mediated by PKR and possibly JNK, while the phosphorylation of Bcl-2 at Ser87 is not affected by palmitate or PKR. In summary, PKR mediates the regulation of the protein level and the phosphorylation status of Bcl-2, providing a novel mechanism of palmitate-induced apoptosis in HepG2 cells.